It takes less than 20 minutes to get from the busy new town of Fan Ling to the tranquility and beauty of the Lau Shui Heung reservoir. Once there, we embark on a pleasant walk through beautiful woodlands filled with singing birds and fluttering butterflies. Who knows we might even spot a deer or a wild pig….

Following a circuitous undulating route through woods and across open ridges – with plenty of look-out points along the way – we eventually reach the Sha Lo Tung valley. The valley was originally excluded from Pat Sin Leng Country Park out of respect for the farmers in the village. It has now been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest that is rich in biodiversity and historical value. Some of the dragonfly and butterfly species that can be seen at Sha Lo Tung were first recorded in Hong Kong. Two amphibian species, the Roman Tree Frog and the Hong Kong Newt, are local species that so far has been found in Hong Kong only.

Conditions permitting, we will visit Cheung Uk, an almost abandoned village on the perimeter of the valley. While slowly crumbling, the exteriors of the houses are mostly intact and no new houses have been built for more than 30 years. The fung shui wood is growing healthily behind the village, making Cheung Uk a great place to get an impression of what a Hakka village looked like 30-50 years ago.

From the village, we proceed into woodland and, making our way through fields and groves of with lychee trees, eventually reach the small Hok Tau Reservoir, set deep in the valley with the Pat Sin Leng range rising steeply upwards to the east. Following the contours of the reservoir, we reach a small road and shortly afterwards the turn off to Hok Tau Wai village, where we catch a minibus back to Fan Ling.

Note: Rather than going straight back to the MTR, it would be possible to end the outing by walking a part of the Lung Yeuk Tau Heritage Trail. The Tangs have lived in Lung Yeuk Tau since the Southern Song dynasty and the Trail links a number of historical buildings, structures and sites that reflect their history....

Picnic at Sha Lo Tung - bring a lunch box or enjoy rice and noodle dishes from the little store....

Disclaimer

Participants on all Hansen's Events' hikes and rides take part entirely at their own risk. By joining any of our events all participants are automatically seen to have agreed to have entered into a disclaimer which exonerates the outing leaders and the organizers from any personal or public responsibility whatsoever and for any claims, injuries or damages arising